1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to printer ribbons and, more particularly, to a detectable spool including indicia that indicate properties of a length of ribbon wound on the detectable spool.
2. Description of the Related Art
Thermal transfer printing equipment is generally known in the relevant art. One type of known thermal transfer process involves the application with a thermal print head of an elevated temperature to regions of a thermal transfer ribbon, with resultant melting of an ink compound of the ribbon at the aforementioned regions. The molten ink compound becomes transferred onto a substrate, which thereby imprints the ink compound onto the substrate. Each ribbon typically is divided into a plurality of consecutively positioned panels, with each panel being usable only for a single printing operation.
Depending upon the type of printing being performed, it may be desirable to have different types of panels provided on the same ribbon. For instance, when it is desired to perform color printing, a given ribbon may consecutively include separate panels containing ink compounds that are colored yellow, magenta, and cyan. A color image that is desired to be printed onto a substrate may be broken up into component images of yellow, magenta, and cyan light. A single color printing operation thus may include three consecutive printing operations, one involving yellow ink, one involving magenta ink, and one involving cyan ink. An appropriately configured color thermal transfer ribbon thus might include consecutive yellow, magenta, and cyan panels repetitively from the beginning of the ribbon to the end of the ribbon. Such a ribbon might bear a designation such as YMC to designate the yellow/magenta/cyan repetitive pattern.
It may additionally be desirable for each series of color panels on the ribbon to be followed by a black panel if it is desired that black printing be provided along with color printing. Such a black panel may be designated by the letter K in the ribbon designation. It may further be desirable to provide an overlay panel on the ribbon which can be used to apply a scratch-resistant overlay surface to the substrate after color and/or black imprintation has occurred. Such an overlay panel may be designated by the letter O in the ribbon designation. It can be seen, therefore, that a thermal transfer ribbon having repetitive series of yellow, magenta, cyan, black, and overlay panels would bear the designation YMCKO. It similarly can be seen that a thermal transfer ribbon having repetitive panels solely of black ink would bear the designation K.
It thus can be seen that numerous different ribbon configurations are possible. It can further be seen that the large number of different ribbon configurations can potentially cause a ribbon having a given panel configuration to be confused by a technician or operator with another ribbon having a different panel configuration. It has thus been deemed desirable to provide some type of indicia on a ribbon spool that will identify to a printer the specific panel configuration of the ribbon wound on the spool. Such a system is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,519 to Klinefelter and U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,625 to Oliverio. It is desired, however, to provide an improved detectable spool with identifier indicia that are more reliable, both structurally and operationally, and that can be manufactured less expensively than previously known detectable spools. It is also desired to provide such an improved detectable spool that additionally includes identifier indicia that can visually indicate to an observer the specific panel arrangement of a ribbon.
Accordingly, an improved detectable spool for use with a ribbon includes an improved hub which includes a core and an indication member. The indication member is a generally planar metallic member that is substantially embedded in the core, with the indication member including a support and a plurality of tabs. In at least one embodiment the indication member is a monolithically formed single-piece member, while in another embodiment the indication member is a multi-component member.
An aspect of the present invention is to provide an improved hub that includes identifier indicia that indicate to a printer the properties of a ribbon wound on a spool.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an improved hub that includes identifier indicia and that is relatively less expensive to manufacture than previously known hubs.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an improved hub including identifier indicia that are relatively more reliable in function than previously known hubs.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an improved hub including identifier indicia that are relatively easy to manufacture.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an improved hub including identifier indicia that not only can be detected by a printer but that can also be visually identified by an observer.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an improved detectable spool incorporating an improved hub of the type indicated above.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an improved indication member that can serve as identifier indicia for a hub of a detectable spool that identifies characteristics of a length of ribbon wound on the detectable spool.
These and other aspects of the present invention are achieved by a hub for use in conjunction with a spool, in which the general nature of the hub can be stated as including a core including a central axis, the core being structured to be disposed on the spool, and an indication member, the indication member including a support and at least a first tab, the support being mounted on the core, the at least first tab being disposed on the support, and the at least first tab including an elongated dimension that extends in a generally radial direction with respect to the central axis of the core.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a hub for use in conjunction with a spool, in which the general nature of the hub can be stated as including a core structured to be disposed on the spool, and an indication member, the indication member including a support and at least a first tab, the support being mounted on the core, the at least first tab being disposed on the support, and the support and the at least first tab each being of a generally planar configuration.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a detectable spool for use in a printer, in which the general nature of the detectable spool can be stated as including a spool including a central axis, and indication means disposed on the spool, the indication means including an indication member, the indication member including a support and at least a first tab, and the at least first tab including an elongated dimension that extends in a generally radial direction with respect to the central axis.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a detectable spool for use in a printer, in which the general nature of the detectable spool can be stated as including a spool, and indication means disposed on the spool, the indication means including an indication member, the indication member including a support and at least a first tab, and the support and the at least first tab each being of a generally planar configuration.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a hub for use in conjunction with a spool, in which the general nature of the hub can be stated as including a core including a central axis, the core being structured to be disposed on the spool, and an indication member, the indication member including a support and a plurality of tabs, the support being mounted on the core, the tabs being disposed on the support, and the support extending between the tabs.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a indication member for incorporation into a detectable spool for use in a printer, the printer including a sensing apparatus, in which the general nature of the indication member can be stated as including a support and a plurality of tabs, the support extending between the tabs, the tabs protruding from the support, and the tabs being structured to be detectable by the sensing apparatus.